Written by Regina Ender
Considering Becky Roe has taught design courses at 5 different institutions, including teaching at APU since 2003 where she developed the graphic design program, there’s no better person to be at the helm of the university’s new Department of Design that just launched this fall. With the new department, she hopes to continue cultivating students’ professional design skills while also growing the program to reach and attract more students.
In addition to APU’s already well-known Bachelor of Arts in Design Studies, the department will feature a “soon to be developed” professional degree for design. The department will also serve as a hub for developing master’s degrees. Looking to promote the program, faculty members are reaching out to local high schools and community colleges to encourage students to pursue a design degree at APU.
To further equip students for careers in design post-graduation, the Department of Design will put special emphasis on internship opportunities. Upper division students will work alongside adjunct faculty and alumni (all practicing designers) in many capacities, including opportunities to attend events where they can showcase their portfolios to be reviewed by professionals. Looking toward the future, Roe said the department faculty members are working to improve APU’s Design Scholars program. Ideally, this could lead to building a student-led design studio on campus.
Before transitioning to teach, Roe practiced design in several not for profit industries such as World Vision, the University of Illinois, as well as serving as the Art Director for APU’s University Relations. As a student, she earned her Bachelor of Arts from Occidental College, her MFA in Art and Design from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and her Ph.D. in Intercultural Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary. In her career, she has combined her skillful design practices with her research in creativity, identity, and diversity.
Words of Wisdom: “Be able to see into the future without getting trapped into the idea of what’s the next big thing. The next big thing might be being still and listening.”
